The Supreme Court called the delay in execution of 8.8 lakh pending petitions “highly disappointing and nothing short of a travesty of justice.” It pulled up the High Courts, urging them to expedite the disposal of these cases.
The Supreme Court expressed its disappointment regarding the backlog of over 880,000 execution petitions pending nationwide, despite previous directives aimed at their swift resolution.
Justices JB Pardiwala and Pankaj Mithal highlighted that, although 338,000 petitions were resolved since March, the ongoing backlog remains “alarming.”
They cautioned that if decree-holders cannot achieve the outcomes of their cases without enduring excessive delays, it would render the concept of justice a mere illusion.
The Court stated,
“After the decree is passed, if it is going to take years and years to execute the decree, then it makes no sense and would be nothing short of travesty of justice,”
Earlier this year, while addressing a property dispute that had lasted four decades, the Supreme Court instructed all High Courts to compile data from their district courts and ensure that pending execution petitions are resolved within six months. It also indicated that presiding officers who do not comply would be held accountable on the administrative side of their respective High Courts.
The consolidated reports presented to the Court revealed significant delays across various jurisdictions. Maharashtra had the highest number of pending cases, exceeding 340,000, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 86,000 and Kerala with nearly 83,000.
Uttar Pradesh reported more than 27,000 pending cases, while Andhra Pradesh had over 68,000. The total nationwide stood at 882,578 execution petitions awaiting resolution.
The Court remarked that these statistics contradicted the intent of its earlier directive.
The Bench stated,
“The statistics which we have received are highly disappointing. The figures of the pendency of the execution petitions across the country are alarming,”
Additionally, the Karnataka High Court failed to provide any data as previously ordered. The Bench instructed its Registrar General to submit an explanation within two weeks, emphasizing that such non-compliance could not be overlooked.
The Bench directed,
“The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka owes an explanation why he has failed to provide us with the necessary information,”
The Court has extended the compliance deadline by another six months and urged all High Courts to not only monitor their district courts but also develop procedures for the effective enforcement of decrees. It reiterated that if a decree cannot be executed for years, it constitutes a travesty of justice.
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The case is scheduled for further monitoring on April 10, 2026, by which time all High Courts must provide updated data on pending and resolved execution petitions.
The petitioners were represented by advocates Mrinal Kanwar, Dinesh Kumar Chouhan, and Vaibhav Rajsingh Rathore, while the respondents were represented by advocates including Rahul Jain, Kunal Chatterji, and several others.
Case Title: Periyammal & Ors. vs. V Rajamani & Anr.
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